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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · kid · wax · land · racket · swing · object · toast

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. land — to come down
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kid — child
  9. land — ground
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — to play on
  12. object — to protest
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. swing — music
  16. object — a thing
  17. wax — to grow
  18. object — an aim
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — a country
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com